Developing and qualifying Egypt Solid Waste Management Center of Excellence to obtain international accreditation ISO 17025

Summary

Egypt Center for Solid Waste Management (ESWMCE) was established at the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University through a research project funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund, with a value of 10 million pounds, to purchase laboratory equipment needed to make all the laboratory measurements and analyzes in the field of environmental engineering, in particular solid waste management, air pollution, and food contact material. Equipment have been purchased and some are still in the tendering process. The center also has the support of the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, with an additional 10 million pounds for the construction of a 4-storey building, in accordance with the engineering and environmental requirements and under the supervision of specialized professors to reach an environmentally friendly green building. (Appendix 11: Introducing the center and its most important activities and achievements)

ESWMCE is the only center in Egypt specialized in the field of environmental engineering in general and solid waste management in particular. The center has its own administrative and financial legislation as an applied research center. An MOU has been signed between the center and the Waste Management Regulatory Authority (WMRA) in March 2019. Through this MOU, several projects have been assigned to ESWMCE including desig of sanitary landfills, transfer stations and waste recycling plants.

The center is divided into several departments to serve the environment and society in the industrial, research, educational and societal aspects. The environmental engineering department at the center provides solutions for managing solid waste and carrying out several laboratory analysis and tests in the field of solid waste. The center seeks to build its capacity (infrastructure, equipment and human resources) to fulfill the requirements for obtaining international accreditation (ISO 17025) through the implementation of the accreditation plan, summarized below:

• Complete the necessary laboratory equipment, glassware, chemicals and standard solutions and all consumables that will contribute to completing the true role of the center and achieving the aforementioned goals in cooperation with the university and the higher education development project management unit

• Developing a list of training programs that the center can provide to students and researchers

• Fulfill all requirements (laboratory qualification - rehabilitation, training and awareness of laboratory personnel - the documentary system - instrumentation control) in preparation for the accreditation of the laboratory (ISO 17025) in the field of environmental engineering including solid waste measurement, air pollution analysis and food contact material.

• Development and rehabilitation of the center in terms of improving the environmental conditions and the infrastructure (gray water treatment plant, high purity gas network, air condition, solar heater,…) to obtain approval for the building as an environmentally friendly green building

Obtaining the international accreditation for ESWMCE will have several significant positive effects. Among the outcomes are society service, increasing the university's resources and opening the way for the participation of large numbers of students and researchers in the center's activities and research projects in the field environmental engineering as it will develop programs Practical training, which contributes to developing the skills of all its employees and participants in its implementation

Achievements

List of Publications from the Project

Partners

Project Members

Project Leaders